Partitioned DAC Thresholding for Multi-Channel X-Ray Detectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing X-ray detectors require multiple energy channels, leading to increased space requirements, power consumption, and bandwidth, which limits the size of detector elements and spatial resolution in medical devices.
Innovation Solution
An N-channel digital-analogue converter with K+L bits is used, featuring a first voltage source with equidistant tapping points and a switch unit, along with a second voltage source and discriminator unit, allowing for multiple threshold values within a single detector element, reducing space and power requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple energy channels are implemented in each detector element, then spectral information capability is improved, but space requirement and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple energy channel functionalities into a single shared digital-analogue converter per detector element. The DAC uses a resistor ladder network with binary-weighted resistors (R, 2R, 4R, 8R) that can generate multiple threshold voltages through binary selection, eliminating the need for separate DACs for each energy channel. This merging approach maintains spectral information capability while significantly reducing the area and power consumption per detector element.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple energy channels are implemented in each detector element, then spectral information capability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple energy channel functionalities into a single shared digital-analogue converter per detector element. The DAC uses a resistor ladder network with binary-weighted resistors (R, 2R, 4R, 8R) that can generate multiple threshold voltages through binary selection, eliminating the need for separate DACs for each energy channel. This merging approach maintains spectral information capability while significantly reducing the area and power consumption per detector element.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple energy channels are implemented in each detector element, then spectral information capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the digital-analogue converter by using a resistor ladder network with binary-weighted resistors (R, 2R, 4R, 8R) instead of traditional multi-DAC architectures. The converter accepts a binary code input (e.g., 3 bits for 8 thresholds) and generates corresponding threshold voltages by selectively connecting resistors in parallel. This parameter change simplifies the device complexity while maintaining the ability to provide multiple energy channels for spectral information extraction.
Data Source
AI summary
An X-ray detector includes an N-channel digital-analogue converter controllable with K+L bits. In an embodiment, the digital-analogue converter includes a first voltage source to provide a plurality of first voltage values at tapping points; and a switch unit with N switch matrices, 2K inputs of the switch matrices being electrically conductively connected to 2K tapping points of the first voltage source. The digital-analogue converter also includes a second voltage source including N subunits. The X-ray detector further includes a discriminator unit including N comparators, at least one input of the comparators being electrically conductively connected to the associated output of the switch matrix and/or to the associated output of the subunit, so that the associated first voltage value and the associated second voltage value are associable with each comparator. A signal of an output of a pre-amplifier, and the associated first and second voltage values are comparable in the comparator.